FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — Thirty-nine Soldiers and Airmen from the Pennsylvania National Guard tested their hand-to-hand combat skills during the inaugural Keystone Combatives Tournament at the Blue Mountain Sports Complex Jan. 10-11, marking the first Modern Army Combatives tournament in the state’s history.
The event brought together Guard members from across Pennsylvania to compete in a professional, controlled environment designed to instill warrior ethos, showcase the Pennsylvania National Guard Combatives School and select competitors to represent the state at the Army’s prestigious Lacerda Cup – its premier combatives championship.
Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, addressed competitors during the opening ceremony, reflecting on his experience attending the Army’s first combatives class and the program’s lasting impact on discipline, confidence and readiness across the force.
“Programs like Modern Army Combatives are vital to building readiness and confidence,” Raines said. “Competitions like this give Soldiers and Airmen the chance to test themselves, sharpen their skills and learn from one another.”
“This is the first Modern Army Combatives tournament in the history of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard,” said Sgt. 1st Class William Dougherty, tournament director and infantryman with 1st Battalion Maneuver, 166th Regiment, Pennsylvania Army National Guard. “It is the culminating event of our revitalization of the Modern Army Combatives Program as a whole, and we intend to make this an annual event.”
“Our long-term goal is to eventually host an All-Army National Guard combatives tournament for the 50 states and territories,” he added.
The tournament followed standard and intermediate Modern Army Combatives rules, emphasizing grappling, positional dominance and controlled striking. Dougherty noted that it was not an MMA-style event.
U.S. Army Modern Army Combatives was formally established in the early 2000s to prepare Soldiers for close combat. It draws from multiple martial arts disciplines, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo, boxing and Muay Thai.
“I believe tournaments and competitions like this are vital to the success of the program,” Dougherty said. “They allow individual Soldiers to showcase their talents, and competition breeds excellence, and excellence is what we should always strive for as Soldiers.”
He said combatives training provides a level of realism unmatched by other Army programs.
“There is no other training in the United States Army that allows you to put the skills you’ve learned to the ultimate test against a real-world opponent the way Army Combatives does," Dougherty said. "This tournament is the best example of that."
Competitors praised the tournament for both its competitive and collaborative environment. Pfc. Cameron Weidlich, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter repairer with Bravo Company, 628th Aviation Support Battalion, said it was his first combatives tournament.
“I’m mainly a wrestler, so being put in a situation with jiu-jitsu, slap boxing and body shots was a great experience and something I would absolutely do again," he said after the competition.
Spc. Andrew Barr, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 228th Engineer Battalion, said he appreciated the camaraderie.
“We left it all on the mat, but there are no hard feelings," Barr said. "We help each other, we’re still a team, and after matches we give each other pointers. That’s what makes it enjoyable."
Staff Sgt. Alexander Myers, the heavyweight first-place winner with A Company, 103rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, said the tournament exceeded his expectations in organization and safety.
“The referees, staff and facilities were all great. Injuries were minimal. There were long breaks, ample warmup space and I could list a million reasons why I loved it,” he said.
He added that strong officiating was critical when competitors had different experience levels.
“Going up against people with varying levels of skill can be nerve-wracking, but it’s a sport, and safety comes first. I can’t stress enough how amazing the referees were at keeping techniques clean and explaining the rules.
“It was great to give everyone that chance to compete, and I hope this continues,” Myers added.
Organizers said the inaugural Keystone Combatives Tournament represents a milestone for the Pennsylvania National Guard and establishes a foundation for future growth, competition and readiness across the force.